Healthy Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup

Good afternoon readers! How has your winter been? Here in Ohio we usually have dreadful winters full of snow and ice and below freezing winds. However this year, for some strange reason, has been devoid of all of these nasty weather conditions. Has it been cold? Yes, but I think the coldest day has still been in the 40s and we’ve had plenty of days in the 50s and even 60s. It’s strange but I’m not complaining!

I love making warm dishes for dinner during these colder months, especially soups. The winter months are also usually the sick months, so soup is good for warming the body (and soul!) as well as providing the ultimate comfort for an ache-y throat.

I found this recipe while browsing Pinterest. It sounded really good, but I made a few tweaks. If you’re being bombarded by cold weather or the sniffles, I highly recommend you try this soup!

Start off by browning 2 lbs of burger and 1 chopped onion in a large pan. Drain if needed.

After the burger is cooked all the way through, add 2 cups of chopped potatoes, 1 ½ cups of chopped carrots, 1 ½ cups of chopped celery, ½ cup of brown rice, 1 can of green beans, 1 can of corn, 6 cups of water, and spices (salt, pepper, basil, dried oregano, and 2 bay leaves). Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 40 minutes.

Once the soup has simmered for 40 minutes, add 15 oz of tomato sauce. Simmer the soup for another 20 minutes, then serve and enjoy!

Healthy Hearty Beef Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

1 med onion (chopped)

2 cups chopped potatoes (peeled)

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

1 1/2 cups chopped celery

1/2 cup brown rice

6 cups water

15 oz tomato sauce

1 can green beans

1 can corn

3 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 bay leaves

Directions

First, brown the burger and onions in a pan. Add one tsp salt for flavor. Drain if necessary.

Next, add the potatoes, carrots, celery, rice, water, corn, green beans, spices, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and let simmer for about forty minutes.

After the soup has simmered for about forty minutes, add the tomato sauce. Bring to a boil again and let simmer for another twenty minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Molly

Motivational Monday 16 - A Quick Pep Talk

GUESS WHAT???

You guys have survived Christmas (and everything that goes along with it)! Give yourselves a big round of applause.

The New Year is almost upon us. 2015 is sure to have its share of ups and downs; things are sure to occur to make you doubt your ability to go on. But you know what? You can do it. You’ve gotten through all of the previous years and their share of obstacles; you even survived Christmas 2014! You can do anything; you can survive. I know you can.

I hope you all have a happy (and safe!) New Year. Go out there and make it the best year yet! I know you can do it.

Cheers!

Molly

The Season of Getting

Merry Christmas everyone! As I said in my latest Motivational Monday post, this is the time of the year that has pretty much all of the stress of the year stuffed into just a few weeks; it’s the season of joy and giving… and rising blood pressure.

With all of the hype and stress that goes on, it can be easy to forget the real reason why we even celebrate Christmas in the first place. Instead of remembering Christ’s birth, we’re struggling to remember what it is that our friends and family have been asking for.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve heard the spiel “it’s not about the gifts” one too many times. Honestly, by emphasizing that it’s not about the gifts, we can inadvertently forget that the season really is about getting; the entire Christmas season exists to help us remember the gift of Christ’s birth.

The whole reason why we even have Christmas is because God sent his son to die on the cross for our sins. He made the ultimate sacrifice so that we wouldn’t have to. He gave us the most precious gift. Even if we might not mean to do it, we can almost snub God’s gift by stressing that Christmas is not about the gifts.

It’s nice to get together with loved ones during the holiday season, but that’s not why we celebrate Christmas. We celebrate because God gave us an amazing gift. Instead of worrying about finding the perfect gift for every person in your life, take the time to remember the whole point of Christmas. It’s not supposed to be a stressful time; it’s supposed to be a time of celebration!

I hope you all have a merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Don’t stress the small stuff; don’t put more stress on yourself than needed. And if you’re still stressing out over finding the perfect gift for someone on your list, how about you introduce them to the reason for the season (if they aren’t already acquainted with it)? God gave us his good and perfect gift not so that we could stress out every year, but so that we can experience freedom and salvation.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” Isaiah 9:6

Cheers!

Molly

Motivational Monday 15 - The Holiday Spirit

Image courtesy of Sabrina Bailey from The Red Room Photography.

Because it’s the season of giving, a lot of people are going to feel the pressure of spending a ton of money to bestow wonderful gifts on family members and friends. A lot of people’s credit card debt is going to sky rocket between now and December 25^th (and possibly even January 1^st). The knowledge that you have to find these wonderful gifts, paired with the knowledge that these wonderful gifts are going to cost a ton of money, is enough to make any person’s blood pressure rise.

We like to stress the importance that it’s the season of giving and not getting because, for some reason, people believe that focusing on the getting takes away from the Christmas season. Unfortunately, focusing on the giving can have the same effect. If you are so focused on the giving, you might find yourself worrying that you aren’t a good person if you can’t find these wonderful gifts for your family and friends, so you’ll be pressured into buying these gifts that you might not be able to afford, and the issue described in the above paragraph will commence.

I think it’s time that we stop stressing the giving part of Christmas. It’s not about the giving or the getting; it’s about celebrating the birth of Christ and spending time with loved ones. And if these loved ones are worth your love, they won’t care if you get them wonderful gifts or not. If we do things correctly, they’ll be happy just to spend time with you.

The holidays have always been a stressful time for my family. We’ve never had the money, but my parents still wanted to give my brother and me pretty much everything that was on our Christmas lists. This led to arguments. I’ll admit that I did want EVERYTHING on my lists when I was growing up, but now it’s not about the getting to me. It’s not even about the giving. I just like spending time with my loved ones; that’s what makes the holidays for me.

My family and I were watching Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the REAL one, not the live action one) and I was struck how the Whos all grasped the concept of Christmas. Although I’ve known the point of the story for years, I think it just sank in for me. Everything was taken from them. Not just their gifts, but their decorations and their food, too. But they still all got together at the end of the movie to sing songs. They didn’t let their situation define their Christmas; they knew it was about much more than stuff.

Image courtesy of Google images.

So, wonderful people, please don’t worry about giving this year. Don’t worry about getting every single person in your life a gift that they will love. Get your loved ones something meaningful and from the heart. And please make sure that you can afford everything that you’re purchasing; I’m sure your friends and family will understand if you can’t get them gifts. Do you really think they want you to go into debt because of them?

Can I take a second to suggest handmade gifts for your family and friends? Most people I know would love to receive a batch of homemade cookies. (If you aren’t a baker, though, I might suggest you try something different!) As for your kids, I would say it’s okay to get them some things that are on their wish lists, but how about you make sure that they REALLY want it and will use it for years to come before you go out and spend hundreds of dollars on said thing?

I honestly can’t tell you everything I’ve ever gotten over the years, but I can tell you that every year I decorate the house with my family, bake cookies with my family (and eat most of them before Christmas), look at the Christmas lights, watch Christmas movies that I've seen so many times over the years, go see my dad’s family on Christmas Eve and my mom’s family on Christmas Day. 

Family photo with Santa at my dad's family's place.

Memories make the holidays. People make the holidays. Things don’t make the holidays.

Cheers!

Molly

GIVEAWAY Annie-Themed Prize Pack (Open to US Only, 18 and Older. Ends 12/19/14)

ANNIE - December 19, 2014
Visit: http://www.annie-movie.com/site/
Like: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialAnnieMovie
Follow: https://twitter.com/AnnieMovie

A Broadway classic that has delighted audiences for generations comes to the big screen with a new, contemporary vision in Columbia Pictures’ comedy Annie.

Director/Producer/Screenwriter Will Gluck teams with producers James Lassiter, Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith, Caleeb Pinkett, and Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, Laurence “Jay” Brown, and Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith with a modern telling that captures the magic of the classic characters and original show that won seven Tony Awards. Celia Costas and Alicia Emmrich serve as Executive Producers.

The screenplay is by Will Gluck and Aline Brosh McKenna, based on the musical stage play “Annie,” book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and on “Little Orphan Annie,” © and ® Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Academy Award® nominee Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who’s also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014. Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they’d be back for her someday, it’s been a hard knock life ever since with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). But everything’s about to change when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) – advised by his brilliant VP, Grace (Rose Byrne) and his shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale) – makes a thinly-veiled campaign move and takes her in. Stacks believes he’s her guardian angel, but Annie’s self-assured nature and bright, sun-will-come-out-tomorrow outlook on life just might mean it’s the other way around.

***

With the remake of Annie hitting theaters next week, Asha Butterflys over at the blog by the same name has the privilege of hosting an Annie-themed Giveaway. Awesome, right? And I got to have the privilege of helping promote the giveaway. Double-awesome! The giveaway kit will include some fun stuff in it that your child will love playing with. I mean, look at that cute little doggie! (I personally wouldn't mind getting those socks!)

 

Honestly, I have never watched the entire movie of Annie. When I was younger, I watched bits and pieces of it over at my friend Kaylie's house, and a couple weeks ago I saw the first fifteen minutes of it via Netflix. I do, however, know some of the songs. I'm not sure if anybody doesn't know a single song from Annie! My personal favorite is "It's the Hard-Knock Life," and it always come to mind when someone mentions Annie. I also like "Dumb Dog," and I find myself singing it from time to time (especially when my dog does something rather dumb).

To enter this super awesome giveaway, you can fill out the entry form below. Good luck!

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick Book Review

Image courtesy of Goodreads.

There’s nothing like reading about characters who get stuck on a mountain in an awful snow storm to make one appreciate the little snow flurries they’d normally complain about. I know I am super grateful for the little snow that we’ve been getting compared to the tons of snow and ice that’s featured in Becca Fitzpatrick’s latest novel, Black Ice. Also, I've become an even bigger fan of my nice warm bed and fuzzy socks.

I was a bit hesitant to read Black Ice at first because I like to read fantasy and sci-fi novels, and I’ll only read just plain fiction books occasionally. However, because I’m such a fan of Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush saga, I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to put Black Ice on my wish list and give it a try. Now I am not just a fan of the Hush, Hush saga, but of Fitzpatrick herself.

My personal opinion of Fitzpatrick is that she has an amazing writing voice and has believable stories with believable characters. I am also a fan of the fact that she can write tactful romance; she balances on the line between naughty and nice without falling off into Naughty Land completely. If you ask me, Fitzpatrick knows how to write great Young Adult romance novels.

Black Ice follows the story of Britt Pfeiffer as she takes on the task of backpacking through the Teton Mountains with her best friend and her ex-boyfriend. So what if there’s been a few murders in the very same area? Britt is determined to go on this trip and either win her First Love back or spite him; she has yet to make up her mind when a giant snow storm hits and detains Britt from meeting up with him. Instead of cuddling by the fire with her sweetheart, Britt finds herself taken hostage and being forced to lead a couple of fugitives off of the mountain, wild weather be darned. It isn’t too long before Britt starts to feel a weird attraction to one of her kidnappers, who may or may not be involved with the murders.

Like I said, I was kind of hesitant to read Black Ice at first. The Hush, Hush novels are fantasy books, but there’s nothing fantastical about being trapped in a snow storm and being kidnapped by some fugitives. I’m very glad that my curiosity got the better of me and I ended up reading Black Ice. The genre might not always be my cup of tea, but the characters, their relationships, and the plot itself are developed so well that I wasn’t bored in the slightest. It did take me a couple weeks to finish, but that’s only because school got in the way. If I didn’t have a ton of homework, I probably would have finished the book within two or three days.

I was a bit concerned that Britt’s character wasn’t as developed as she could have been, but by the end of the novel I decided that she’s still a driving force. I might not fully appreciate her character during the first half of the book, but I think she develops nicely by the end (can you say, girl power?). The same goes for Mason’s character (minus girl power, of course...). I might not understand them completely at the beginning, but by the end I came to know them and accept them. I don't think they're as developed as the characters in Hush, Hush, but they suffice. However, the relationships between the characters are really well developed and I absolutely love them.

Besides the minor issues with the character development, I couldn’t really find anything that made me question why I was actually reading Black Ice. Fitzpatrick has concocted a wonderful suspense novel, and I couldn’t help but want more by the time I finished reading. I mean, come on, I need to know what happens next. Sadly, Black Ice has a wrapped up ending, so I don’t know if there’s going to be a sequel. However, I will be on the lookout for Fitzpatrick’s next novel, Sapphire Skies, which is supposed to be released in October 2015.

In case I haven’t made myself clear, I highly recommend Becca Fitzpatrick’s books. If you’re a bookworm, go check them out! And if you know a bookworm, you now know the perfect gift to get them for Christmas. (Also, if you or someone you know needs a new perspective on the awful winter weather, Black Ice is the novel to read!)

Happy reading!

Molly

Motivational Monday 14 - The Good, The Bad, and The New Year

Happy December everybody! The year is drawing to a close; so many things have happened during the past 365 days, both good and bad. A couple weeks ago we had a couple days to reflect on our blessings, and I encouraged everyone in my Thanksgiving Post to forget about all of the bad things for those couple days. Unfortunately, just because we ignore our problems doesn’t mean that they go away.

Bad things happen to people, both bad people and good people. And for some reason, bad things just tend to pile up all at the same time. As the saying goes, when it rains it pours. The good news is that it can’t rain forever. Even in Ohio, one of the dreariest places during November through April, the weather doesn’t stay bad forever. It sometimes seems like the snow and slush and rain in sleet and all the other nastiness will never end, but the dreary season does eventually end and we’re gifted with beautiful weather.

Even the nasty snow and ice can be beautiful. Not everything is completely evil,
not even the bad things that happen in life. Photo courtesy of Sabrina Bailey from
The Red Room Photography.

As the year comes to a close, it’s okay to reflect on everything that’s happened this past year, both the good and the bad. Sadly, bad things are never going to stop happening. But instead of being discouraged by everything bad that has happened, I want you to realize that you’ve survived a lot. You have the potential to survive whatever happens in life. Remember that as you go into the new year.

Just like bad things are never going to stop happening, good things are never going to stop happening, either. So remember the good things that have happened this past year, and realize that even better things are on their way. Never give up hope, no matter how bad things seem; you never know what good thing is right around the corner.

Christmas is a time where both good and bad things happen. The world is full of joy and happiness; it’s the season of giving. At the same time, people are full of stress and their blood pressure rises. It’s like the whole of the year stuffed into one month. But, just like you’ve survived the year, you can also survive the Christmas season. I promise the stress won’t last forever!

Ah, Christmas. The season of joy and rising blood pressures! Photo courtesy of Sabrina
Bailey from The Red Room Photography.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year! Remember: you’re going to survive (both the Christmas season and the New Year)!

Molly

Giving Thanks for Blessings

Some background info: every month, I need to fill out a calendar that shows that I’m actually doing something with my life, then send it in to my case worker so that my family can still get my fraction of government benefits. I need to send it in by the fifth of every month, but it needs to be sent out at the end of the previous month so that it gets there BY the fifth so that I don’t get a “sanction.” Before I can send it, though, I need my professors to sign it, validating that, yes, I have been going to class.

I forgot to have my Tuesday/Thursday professor sign my paper yesterday. That normally isn’t a problem, because I can just have her sign it on Thursday, but this Thursday is Thanksgiving and the college is closed for the rest of the week. So I freaked out a little bit and rushed to school to see if I could catch my professor and have her sign it, even though she’s usually not in her office when I’m not in class (meaning, I usually don’t see her on Mondays and Wednesdays).

I was already on my way to school when I realized that I forgot to pack a protein bar. I have fifteen minutes between my classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I don’t have time to eat a real lunch or stop to get food. I knew I had a handful of almonds in my backpack, so I figured they would have to tide me over till I got home.

Since I knew my professor usually isn’t in her office when I’m out of class, I figured I would have to email her when I got to school and ask when she would be available to sign my calendar. I pass her office on the way to the computer lab, so I took a quick peek in when I passed.

She was there!

I ended up interrupting an audio recording that she was doing, but she signed my calendar anyways cuz she’s just awesome like that. (Then she put a sign up outside that said “Do Not Disturb.”)

So that solved one problem. I still didn’t have food, but I was still planning on having my almonds. However, when I finally made it to lunch time, I knew that they were not going to be enough. I knew my professor always has pretzel sticks in her office, so I decided to run by there and see if she happened to be in her office again.

On my way there, I passed a bake sale. They had “cuties” (mini oranges) for 25 cents. So I bought one. And then, my professor was in her office again! (And NOT making a recording!) She gladly gave me two pretzel rods, and she even gave me an apple and a granola bar. I was only searching for something that would hold me over until I got home, but by the time my search was over, I had enough to eat then and there, and then some.

For me, nothing other than “miracle” describes my entire morning/afternoon. My Tuesday/Thursday professor is never in her office when I pass by on Monday/Wednesday, but she was there TWICE today. I got my calendar signed and I got food (more food than I needed). Although I will admit that my professor is awesome for signing my calendar for me and giving me food, I’m giving God the glory for one, giving me such an awesome professor, and two, allowing me to catch her twice when I needed to, even though odds said that I wasn’t going to see her.

I kept thinking of the Bible story about the little boy with the loaves and fishes and how Jesus took something so small and blessed it so that He could provide for all those in need. This stuff didn’t just happen in Bible times – it still happens today.

No matter how unlikely something may seem, no matter how hopeless or desperate a situation, God is never going to leave you alone. He’s always going to be looking out for us, whether we’re driving on the road during a snow storm, facing unexpected crises, or just looking for a quick snack to tide us over. He’s always going to provide whatever it is we need – and then some.

This Thanksgiving, I challenge you to think of all of the ways God has blessed you over the year. Really think about it. Then take the time to tell him thank you.

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Molly

Andes Creme de Menthe Cookies

So I haven’t been doing a ton of experimenting with my baking lately, which is why there haven't been any new recipe posts up. I apologize; I thought my family deserved something that I knew was going to turn out tasty! However, I decided that it was time to try something new when, the other day at the store, I found a package of Andes Crème de Menthe baking chips.

I love Andes mints. Love them. So when I found the baking chips, I knew I needed to bake some cookies with them.

The following recipe is based off of the back of the Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips package. But of course, I needed to put my own twist on things.

First, cream together ½ cup of softened butter, ¾ cup of brown sugar, and ½ cup of granulated sugar until you get a crumby dough.

One you cream together the butter and sugars, add 2 tsps of vanilla extract and 2 eggs (add the eggs one at a time) and beat until smooth and creamy.

Add 1 tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Beat the batter until mixed.

This next part might require you to get your hands messy: add 2 ½ cups of sifted, all-purpose flour to the batter and mix until incorporated. Once everything is mixed together, add one 10 oz package of Andes Crème de Menthe bits and mix it all together until mixed.

Roll dough into approximately 1-inch balls and place on a non-stick baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then set aside or eat and enjoy!

Andes Crème de Menthe Cookies

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 pinch of salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted

1 10 oz package Andes Crème de Menthe baking chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat the butter and sugars with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, along with the vanilla. Beat until creamy.

Add the baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the batter, and mix until smooth.

Time to get your hands dirty! Add the sifted flour, then mix the batter with your hands until mixed (unless you have a good mixer that can do it for you). Then add the mints and mix some more.

Roll the dough into approximately one-inch balls. Place the balls on a non-stick baking sheet with about 1.5 inches between them. Flatten the balls slightly. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies start to brown.

Remove the sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool for a couple minutes before removing them. Eat and enjoy, or store for later.

What is your favorite kind of cookies?

Molly

Motivational Monday 13 - The Thanksgiving Post

Image courtesy of Sabrina Bailey from The Red Room Photography

Happy Thanksgiving week everybody! No matter what your take is on the history of the holiday, remember that it’s still a time to take a step back and acknowledge all of the blessings that you’ve received. There’s a lot of negativity in the world today, and a lot of complaining about pretty much everything, so it’s important to take the time to stop complaining and give thanks for the good things in life.

I think the most common complaints that I hear are about jobs/employers, the lack of support from family members, and money. I know a lot of people who can always find something to complain about. I can even find stuff to complain about. Sometimes we have legit reasons to be upset, but that doesn’t mean we have to let these unfortunate things keep us from being happy. No matter how bad your life may seem, there’s always something to be thankful for.

People complain about their jobs a lot. They either don’t get enough hours, they get too many hours, they’re denied certain benefits due to them, etc. It’s reasonable to be upset about this stuff, but don’t let it keep you from being thankful. Do you know how many people are looking for jobs and would be happy to take on the one you spend your time complaining about? Think about how you would really feel if you lost this job. Would you really be happier? Whatever the answer, realize that you are blessed to have a job in this economy.

Other things I hear people complain about are their family members, whether direct or extended. I myself have complained about certain family members. They don’t help out around the house, their sole purpose in life seems to be to make your life harder, they’re freeloaders, they take advantage of you… the list can go on. However, when you start to get upset about a family member (or even a friend for that matter), think about how many people have nobody to turn to or talk to on a daily basis. And when you contemplate spending time with that family member this holiday season who you would rather not have to deal with, think about how many people won’t have anyone to spend the holiday season with.

Image courtesy of google images.

I don’t think I know a single person over the age of ten who has not, at some point, complained about money. Money makes the world go ‘round, after all, and if you don’t have it, then you can’t buy the stuff that you want. But then, even if you don’t have the money, you can buy stuff, and go into tons of debt. People are going to go out this Friday and spend a ton of money on stuff that they really don’t need, and probably charge a lot on a credit card that they can’t afford. Money is a sensitive subject. But I think it’s important to think about all those people in the world who can’t even afford to give their children adequate nutrition on a daily basis. Think about those who can’t afford to take care of their families and watch their loved ones starve to death. Money might be a tough subject in your life, but it isn’t as tough as it is for some people.

Sometimes it’s okay to complain. Our complaints aren’t always unfounded, and we have a right to have them. It’s when our complaints become more numerous than our joys that we see a problem develop. So this holiday season, instead of complaining that you have to work on the holiday, be thankful that you have a job; or, if you don’t have a job, be thankful that you don’t have to work during the holidays. And when you have to spend time with people that you don’t particularly like, think about all those people who will be spending the holidays lonely. And when it comes to money, think about those who are less fortunate than you are. Realize that you are blessed, no matter your situation.

As the wise Albus Dumbledore put it, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

Image courtesy of google images.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Molly

Motivational Monday 12 - The Impossible

You know how people say that it’s impossible to lick your elbow? Well, I can lick my left elbow. Not the right, but I can somehow get my left arm in such a position that I can lick that elbow. I’ve also met one other girl who can lick her elbow. So there are two theories here: either people are lying when they say that people can’t lick their elbows, or this girl and I are just freaks of nature.

Whatever the reason why we can lick our elbows, it still remains that we proved the doubters wrong. According to those who believe it is impossible to lick your elbow, we have just accomplished the impossible. Sure, licking your elbow is a pretty trivial thing, but it’s still awesome to know that I’ve proven the impossible to be possible.

How many things have been called “impossible” only to be proven to be possible? People used to believe that man can’t fly. I’m sure it seemed impossible to believe that man would ever walk on the moon. If you traveled back in time and told the people of the past how many miraculous things we’ve accomplished by today, I’m willing to bet that their response would be one of two things: have you thrown in an asylum, or shout “Impossible!” Or maybe both.

I think just to be on the safe side, you probably shouldn’t be taking any trips to the past.

Have you heard the saying “Nothing is impossible; the word itself says ‘I’m possible’”? Well, I’m sure there are some things that will always be impossible, but there are a lot of things, as we’ve already discussed, that are and will be possible. I don’t know what you’re going through, or what the “impossible” is for you, but I want you to know today that it is not impossible. You can do it or get through it (whatever “it” is). Remember: the impossible just takes longer.

Cheers!

Molly

Living Healthier

You don’t have to put in a lot of effort to live healthier. Adopt some of these tips to your daily life and you’re already on your way to healthy living!

1. Drink more water! Have you ever experienced the side effects of NOT having enough water? It’s not fun. Water is essential for life; but not only that, it also helps with weight loss (or at least weight maintenance), gives you clearer skin, and pretty much makes you feel healthy. Although I don’t keep good track of how much water I drink in a day, I can usually tell when I don’t get enough.

Image courtesy of Google image.

Tip: To make sure you get in enough water, skip out on your carbonated, fruity, or alcoholic beverages as your go-to thirst-quencher and reach for water every time you need a drink. Fun flavored liquids should only be consumed occasionally. And if you don’t like plain water, flavor it up with some lemon, cucumber, mint, or a variety of other fruits.

2. Take your vitamins! Although I honestly can’t tell how each vitamin I take affects me, there are some that I can’t skip if I don’t want adverse reactions. Vitamins provide your body with essential minerals to help it work at its optimal level. Think of your body like a machine: vitamins are the tools that you can use to help it run as best as it can; and even better!

Image courtesy of Google image.

Tip: If you have a hard time remembering to take your vitamins, try to make it a habit to take them after or before lunch.

3. Don’t eat as much sugar! I’ll admit: I have no self-control when I start snacking on chocolates. One turns into two turns into four turns into 32. The trick is to hide the sweets – out of sight, out of mind, right? And if that doesn’t work, I try reminding myself that I can always eat a treat later – the ones in front of me aren’t the only ones available for me to eat. You don’t have to stop eating sweats period, but you just need to learn to limit your sugar intake.

This is my Halloween candy. It is inside of a drawer, with a note that says "Do a 4 minutes Tabata" to discourage me from opening the drawer

Tip: Try the out of sight, out of mind, trick if your family won’t keep sweets out of the house. And if that doesn’t work, try telling yourself that if you make it to the end of the week, you can have a special treat (ONE special treat).

Living healthier doesn’t have to be about changing your entire lifestyle; just a few simple changes can help you get on the right track. Try some of these and let me know if you’re noticing a difference! Good luck!

Molly

Motivational Monday 11 - A Lesson from NaNoWriMo

If you hadn’t guessed by now from my posts, I am a writer. I have been writing since I was young, but I began writing more seriously at about fifteen. I have been working on the same novel (and its sequel) since then. Because I have been focusing all of my writing time on this project (my baby), I have been averse to starting any other project. Thus, when introduced to the concept of NaNoWriMo, I decided that it wasn’t for me.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with NaNo, the idea is that you write an entire 50,000 word novel in the month of November. You are supposed to start an entirely new project for NaNo, although some people “rebel” and build onto the novels that they’ve already been working on, aiming to add 50K by the end of the month. I’m already finished with my novels and I’m in the revising/editing stage, so I wasn’t even going to sign up to “rebel.”

Although I am still working on my “baby,” I take time off during the time that I’m in school so that I can focus on it more clearly. I don’t want to divide my attention between schoolwork and revision/editing, because I’m afraid I might miss something while revising. However, all of this academic writing has begun to stifle me. I knew I needed to do some creative writing soon or else I would go insane. So I decided to sign up for NaNo about a week before it started.

Image courtesy of NaNoWriMo.

 I have never, never, never experienced such abandon when it comes to writing as I have experienced while writing this novel for NaNo. The idea is to write an entire 50K word novel in one month, so you really don’t have time to second-guess yourself. Some of the stuff that I’m writing is utter garbage, but I’ve noticed that if I let myself get stuck on that scene, I wouldn’t have been able some of the awesome scenes that follow.

I think there are a lot of times in life when we get so stuck on something that we don’t move forward onto the awesome stuff. We’re either worrying about past mistakes that we’ve done, or holding grudges about something that somebody else did. We hold on to the past and don’t move on to the future; and when that happens, we don’t get to experience the awesomeness stuff that follows.

There’s definitely a lesson to be learned from the abandon of NaNoWriMo. Besides learning how to write without second-guessing yourself, it teaches us that no matter how awful something is, it’s not like it’s going to keep us from experiencing something great. Even though I can change what happens in my novel (eventually; in the months of January and February), I can’t exactly change what happens in the past. But that’s OK: the point is to just keep going, because if you stop, you won’t experience that awesomeness that’s going to follow.

So whether you’re writing a novel or living your life, don’t sweat the mistakes; either they can be fixed, or they won’t end up defining the bigger picture. The key is to just keep going!

Cheers!

Molly

Tabata Training - AKA Torture Training

Image courtesy of Peanut Butter Fingers

Let’s talk Tabata training.

Tabata training, according to bodybuilding.com, “is one of the most popular forms of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). It consists of eight rounds of ultra-high-intensity exercises in a specific 20-seconds-on, 10-seconds-off interval.” Tabata training according to me is pretty much a new form of torture, disguised as an actual workout routine. Then again, I have that same feeling about most workouts. 

The idea behind Tabata training is that it works both your aerobic and anaerobic systems to give you maximum calorie burn for the time you put in. In other words, it tries to kill you in 4 minutes. Unless you’re insane (like me) and try to go through the entire workout, which consists of 8 rounds for a total of 32 minutes.

So does it really work? Lots of people say yes, it does. According to a research report posted the American Council of Exercise’s (ACE) website, four minutes of exercise may not be enough for you to reach your fitness goals but, “based on the evidence, short-burst, high-intensity training is the real deal. And adapting Tabata-style training to fit your client’s workouts is without a doubt another very effective approach you can employ to help them achieve their goals.”

If you’re looking for numbers, this is what the research posted on ACE’s website reveals: The 16 subjects burned between 240 and 360 kcals during the workout, for an average of 15 kcals per minute burned. Again, Tabata met established guidelines for calorie expenditure for improving health and facilitating weight loss. On average, subjects also anecdotally perceived Tabata to be pretty darn tough. The average RPE was 15.4 (rated as “hard”). Meanwhile, blood lactate levels averaged 12.1 mmol/L following the workouts, suggesting that subjects were working out well above their lactate thresholds.

If you would like to read the rest of the article, you can go here. 

Interested in trying out this killer (literally) HIIT workout? If you’re a beginner, you might want to start off easy, but if you’re advance, give it all you’ve got!

Here are my (totally non-professional!) recommendations:

For beginners:

Do pushups for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, do jumping jacks for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat until you’ve done 4 sets on pushups and 4 sets of jumping jacks. Try to get at least one more circuit in, using some of your favorite exercise moves in place of the pushups and jumping jacks.

For advanced:

20 sec. pushups

10 sec. rest

20 sec. lunges with bicep curls

10 sec. rest

(repeat 4x)

20 sec. burpees

10 sec. rest

20 sec. squat jumps

10 sec. rest

(repeat 4x)

20 sec. Russian twists

10 sec. Rest

20 sec. bicycle crunches

10 sec. rest

(repeat 4x)

20 sec. sumo-squats with triceps extensions

10 sec. rest

20 sec. crescent pose with reverse flyes

10 sec. rest

(repeat 4x)

20 sec. jumping jacks

10 sec. rest

20 sec. jump rope

10 sec. rest

(repeat 4x)

20 sec. crunches

10 sec. rest

20 sec. twisting plank

10 sec. rest

(repeat 4x)

Come up with 2 more rounds and your good to go! (Sorry, I’m too lazy to think of anything else.)

Again, I have no training in health and fitness and only know what I’ve learned through internet searches and working my own body. If you don’t trust my Tabata suggestions, you can find more online. Basically, though, the idea is that you do 1 serious move for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, do another serious move for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat 4 times and go as hard as you can.

Good luck! Drink plenty of water! And remember to stretch!

Molly

The Author of Life

No matter what’s going on around me, I know that God is in control. And the good news is that God, who is in control of everything, loves me and promises to take care of me. Sadly, I still don’t always trust him as much as I should, and I freak out when something doesn’t go the way I plan, or if I’m trying to make plans and I can’t see how they’re going to make out.

If you’re like me, you might be interested in reading my Control Freaks post.

It’s taken some time to get used to, but I think I’ve finally come to accept the fact that God is the author of life. I’m a writer, so this metaphor helps me. When I write, I understand my characters wants and desires. I [usually] know what’s going to happen before they can see it coming (whether a disaster or something wonderful). I love my characters and I will never abandon them. So it makes sense that God, the author of life, loves me more than I love my characters and that he will never abandon me.

Sometimes life doesn’t go the way I plan and I get upset. But it’s not up to me to be upset. It’s not up to me to be upset at God for letting these things happen. Because God is the author of my life, he gets to decide what happens to me, from beginning to end. The good news is that just like how I will never leave my characters to suffer through a trial on their own, I know that God will never leave me. Also, I will never let something bad happen to my characters without planning some way to redeem them, and I know the same goes for God.

Even though my life is my story, God is the author. It’s not up to me to decide what’s going to happen or what’s not going to happen to me in life; that’s God’s responsibility. My job is to deal with the circumstances when they come my way, and trust that my author won’t leave me to struggle through the obstacles alone.

God loves us and he doesn’t want to harm us. I know there are plenty of authors out there who enjoy putting their characters through trial after trial, and sometimes the main characters dies at the end. The good news is that God is a benevolent author! (And even if you do die, if you’re a Christian, there’s no better happy ending than spending eternity in heaven with God.) He won’t let you go through trial after trial without having those trials mean something, teach you something, or lead you somewhere in the end.

Remember: God makes all things work together for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28).

Cheers!

Molly

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

I know, I know. You're probably sick of pumpkin and pumpkin spice by now. The good news: you only have to put up with it for about another month. However, I highly suggest you try this cheesecake while pumpkin is in. Because let's be honest: as soon as pumpkin goes out of season, you're likely to miss it.

So this past weekend was my neighborhood's trick-or-treat. We get HUNDREDS of kids. If someone is giving out candy, they better stock up or else they'll be out within twenty minutes. Every year I come across a house where the resident had to run to the store to refill.

(Yes, I still dress up. Don't judge me.)

My friend Karissa and me handing out candy to the little trick-or-treat-ers. (Bonus points if you can guess Karissa's costume!)

I usually have friends over during this time, so I knew I needed to have some sort of fall treat that wasn't candy.

And what's better than pumpkin cheesecake?

I already have a fabulous cheesecake recipe, but, unfortunately, I didn't have all of the ingredients to make that. So I came up with a simpler recipe. This one tastes like cheesecake, but also tastes like pumpkin pie (which my other recipe does not taste like).

The crust is pretty much a simple shortbread. 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/8 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 cup of softened butter all mixed together and set in an 8x8 pan.

The cheesecake is different than my other cheesecake because I use less creamy stuff. This cheesecake calls for 8 oz of low-fat cream cheese (although you could use regular), 1/2 cup sugar. 1 egg, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 2/3 cup pumpkin puree.

Mix it all together, bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, and you get this nice, creamy filling that tastes like pumpkin pie in cheesecake form.

Let me tell you, it was a big hit with my friends and family.

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup softened butter

Cheesecake:

8 oz low fat cream cheese (the kind that starts with an "n;" you could also use regular cream cheese)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Directions:

Place flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer. You should have a pasty mixture when your dough is ready.

Spray a 8x8 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put the dough into the pan and press to cover the bottom (and if you can, go part way up the sides). Make sure there's no holes!

Bake crust at 350 degrees for about twelve minutes.

While crust is baking, cream the cheese and sugar in a bowl with the electric mixer. Once creamy, add the egg and beat until mixed. After that, add the spice, vanilla, and pumpkin and beat until everything is mixed and creamy.

When the crust is done, remove from the oven and pour the filling in.

Bake the cheesecake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Let cool, then place in fridge overnight, then serve and enjoy!

So be honest: are you really sick of pumpkin spice?

Cheers!

Molly

Maple Pecan Pancakes

Just because I am banned from making pumpkin-spice breakfasts, that doesn’t mean I can’t use other fall flavors; I just need to be a little more creative. Thankfully Mom told me that she was craving maple pecan pancakes, so that got the brainstorming out of the way and I was able to focus on the recipe itself.

First, mix up your dry ingredients. This includes 1 cup of both all-purpose and whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar; and a pinch of salt, cinnamon, and ginger.

Then, in a separate bowl, mix together 1 ½ cups of milk, ½ cup of applesauce, ¼ cup of Greek yogurt, 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons of maple extract.

Once your wet ingredients are mixed, add the dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth.

Pour batter on a nonstick griddle (preheated to about 375 degrees). While the pancakes are frying, add about ½ tablespoon of chopped pecans to each pancake. 

Flip the pancake when bubbles on top start to pop, and fry for another couple minutes.

Serve, or keep warm in an oven (preheated to about 200 degrees) until your family is ready to eat. My family took quite a while to get downstairs, so I had to keep their pancakes warm in the oven.

Both Mom and Kyle loved the pancakes, although Kyle was probably just happy that I didn’t use pumpkin.

Maple Pecan Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole-wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 ½ cups milk

½ cup applesauce

¼ cup Greek yogurt

2 eggs

2 Tbsp maple extract

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat a nonstick griddle to 350-375 degrees.

Mix up 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, and 2 Tbsp of brown sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix 1 ½ cups milk, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, ¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 2 eggs, and 2 Tbsp of maple extract. When all these are mixed together, add the dry ingredients.

Pour about ¼ cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle. While the pancakes are frying, add ½ Tbsp of chopped pecans to each pancake.

Flip the pancakes when the bubbles on the batter start to pop, and fry for another couple minutes.

Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!

Cheers!

Molly

Motivational Monday 10 - The Blank Slate

Disclosure: I have consumed more chocolate bars than I care to count over the past 24 hours. Therefore if my post does not make sense, please don’t blame me; blame the sugar. Thank you.

My neighborhood had their trick-or-treat this weekend, and I have no self-control when it comes to snacking, so I have probably consumed about 2,000 calories worth of chocolate from late Saturday night until early Sunday evening.

Candy is delicious, but only good in moderation!

For those of you who have been keeping up with my blog, you probably know that I’m also a health-buff and promote healthy living. So you can probably jump to the conclusion that not only am I physically ill from all this sugar, but I am also a bit disappointed with my lack of self-control.

However, there is good news: tomorrow is a new day.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that no matter how badly we may screw up, we always have a chance to get it right the next day? It doesn’t change the fact that we did mess up, but it does mean that we don’t have to be defined by our mistakes. Tomorrow is always tabula rasa, or a blank slate. We have the choice to either make the same mistake again or learn from our mistake and make new choices based on that.

Now, the fact that there is always a tomorrow does not give someone the excuse to screw up over and over again. If you start the day thinking that you’ll get it right the next day, or the next day, or the next day, you pretty much give up your right to the blank slate theory. Tomorrows are meant to redeem mistakes, not confirm them. Besides, infinite tomorrows are not a guarantee.

No matter what mistakes someone may make today, that doesn’t mean they have to be defined by them. People learn by their mistakes; so instead of saying, “I’m a failure because I failed,” try saying, “I might have failed, but now I know what doesn’t work and that will help me figure out what does work.” Trial and error.

So while I might have cheated severely on my diet today, that doesn’t mean that I’ve completely screwed up my life and I have no other choice but to give up healthy living. I can have a fresh start tomorrow (which will probably include a couple meal-replacement smoothies and/or a salad, along with several glasses of water).

Remember: just because someone made a mistake today, that doesn’t mean all of their tomorrows will be the same.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go into a sugar coma for the next several hours.

Cheers!

Molly